The Dover waterfront development will features hundreds of apartments in multiple buildings and a total of 23 townhouses in the E buildings (Courtesy of the City of Dover)
The public and private waterfront development project is “moving well ahead,” said Chris Parker, deputy city manager.
The private development led by Cathartes, a Boston-based developer, is poised to bring more than 400 units of housing. City officials recently took a tour.
Jamie Stevens, the city’s waterfront project construction manager, provided an update on construction.
The projected timeline of substantial completion of the project is March 2026, said Stevens. There are two phases of when the housing units will become available. The first units are expected to be completed by October 2025, said Stevens, and ready for move-in at the end of 2025.
Prices are not yet set for the units, but it will be similar to the market prices of the Orpheum in Dover. The current rent of a studio apartment at the Orpheum is $2,365 for a studio, $2,548 for a one-bedroom unit, $3,312 for a two-bedroom unit and $4,350 for a three-bedroom unit, according to the Orpheum’s website.
There is now a waiting list available for the waterfront rental units by emailing info@cathartes.com.
Details of Dover waterfront apartments and townhouses
Buildings C and D and three sets of townhouses referred as the E buildings will be constructed in Phase I of the project. They will feature 20,000 square feet of commercial space and 220 residential units combined, according to Rob Simmons, Cathartes project manager.
Buildings C and D will have 197 apartments, ranging from studios to 3-bedroom units, Simmons said. The E buildings will have a total of 23 townhouse units.
The Building C foundation is nearly completed, and the elevator shaft is in place. The Building D foundation is expected to be put in soon.
Simmons said the developer hopes to begin vertical construction with steel in October, starting on Building C.
Leases for the commercial spaces located throughout the buildings have not been signed yet. Simmons said that there has been a lot of interest from local food and beverage businesses, along with retailers.
Amenities of the residences will include “waterfront views, balconies, designer finishes, stainless steel appliances, and in-unit laundry,” Stevens said in an email. “Residents will enjoy a high-tech fitness center with yoga studio, exclusive fireplace lounges featuring local artwork, and a top floor terrace with panoramic views of the Cocheco River. The building will feature garage parking, EV charging, bike and kayak storage, pet friendly amenities, and a state-of-the-art co-work facility that will be open to the public, offering various-sized conference rooms.”
Future phases of the development will feature approximately 5,000 square feet of commercial space and 200 residential units in buildings A and B off Seaport Way.
“The future phases have not been scheduled yet but our hope is to complete them as soon as we are able,” Simmons said in an email.
A pavilion building is part of Dover’s waterfront park project. Construction could begin in spring 2025. (Courtesy of the City of Dover)
Dover public park to feature pavilion building
NorthEast Earth Mechanics is working on the groundwork for the pavilion at a new 3.4-acre public park the city is building on the waterfront near the Cathartes development. The park will include a public boat launch for kayakers and other recreational boaters.
Parker said the groundwork is expected to be completed in the next four to five months to allow construction to start on the pavilion in the spring.
There is currently no contractor hired for the public pavilion, but the bidding process is open. Bids are due by Oct. 17, and a contractor hopefully will be vetted by November, Parker said.
“We’re light years ahead of where we were last year,” Parker said. “We’re one-third through the project.”
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